back now with more of "today" on a friday morning. it's a beautiful morning. it is the 5th of october, 2012. we've got a great crowd, a happy crowd on our plaza. lots to look forward to this morning, including something we've been waiting for all week. it's time for the live puppy parade for halloween. >> puppy palooza. >> it is puppy palooza. >> and little pepper roker. >> pepper roker is here. >> and zara morales is here as well. >> those are so cute. >> it's unbearable. they are so cute. we'll check out the puppies in a little bit. >> a bittersweet story coming up about the love between daughters

and their dads. fathers and daughters. this morning a daughter pays tribute to her father and the book he wrote about a daughter getting married. >> that's awfully sweet. speaking of daughters growing up, you're a ways from this, gone from it now, going through it now. hair and makeup very important to your teenage daughters. the experts from "seventeen" magazine are here with tips to help your daughters create their own style. >> and tips on the brows. >> first natalie morales with the wonderful brows. >> thank you, savannah, david and al. the labor department says the nation's unemployment rate fell below 8% last month for the first time in nearly four years. employers added 114,000 jobs in september, and that lowered the jobless rate 0.3 from 8.1% in august to 7.8% in september. hiring numbers for july and august were also revised upwards

to show that the economy created 86,000 more jobs in those months than previously estimated. president obama and republican challenger mitt romney are both campaigning in the battleground state of virginia today. last night romney told fox news that his earlier statement seemingly writing off 47% of americans was completely wrong and that his life shows that he cares about 100%. president obama accused romney meanwhile of dancing around his own positions saying that if you want to be president, you owe the american people the truth. american airlines cancelled more flights today so it can fix the problem with seats that could come loose on at least three recent flights. american says all 48 of the boeing 757s being checked should be back in service tomorrow. the airline blames a combination of wear, poor design and even soda spills for causing small pins in the seat lock mechanisms to malfunction. health officials are warning that thousands of people across 23 states could be at risk of

contracting fungal meningitis. the rare and deadly strain of the disease has been linked to contaminated steroid injections given for back pain. at least five people have died from the outbreak and another 35 people across six states have been sickened. a young american man was shot and killed by israeli forces today after he alleged opened fire inside a hotel killing a worker. it happened in the red sea resort city of eilat. officials say the suspect who may have been a former hotel employee apparently grabbed the gun from a female security officer. nasa's curiosity rover is shovel ready. starting on saturday the rover will start scooping sand from mars and shake it up for hours to get rid of any residual dirt from our planet, and once it gets the right scoop of sand, shaken, not stirred, it will then be poured into a mobile lab, and they will start analyzing it. a new study suggests that free birth control can dramatically lower rates of abortion and teen births. researchers tracked more than 9,000 women in st. louis.

many of them poor and uninsured. the report comes as millions of women are about to gain access of free contraception under most workplace insurance plans as part of president obama's health care law. a surprise for a landscaper heading to work at a plant nursery in north carolina when he stumbled upon this, an eight-foot alligator sunbathing among the flowers. at first he thought it was a knew though creepy lawn statue until it moved. the 200-pounder apparently took a whole hour for wildlife officials to wrangle. it has now been safely released into a nearby river basin. and time for this baby's nine-week checkup. the newest and cutest resident at the san diego zoo weighed in at 6.6 pounds, just adorable. little panda cub is developing well with fully functioning eyes, ears and even yelps. now four minutes after the hour. speaking of yelps, i'll throw it over to al, as i hear my own little dog yelping here, looking for me. >> we'll see new just a second.

the new meaning of devil dog. >> yes. let's see what we've got for your weather today. we're talking about a strong cold front bringing a big change in the temperatures. we've got temperatures along the east coast ahead of the froent front, anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees above normal and temperatures getting into the 80s. behind it temperatures drop into the 30s, 40s and low 50s, and as we look along that front, you've got a lot of wet weather to talk about from parts of missouri and arkansas all the way into western new york. out west, high pressure dominates. we're looking at a beautiful day in the pacific northwest. heat continues through the southwest and a perfect day in >> good morning.shine and a higs it will turn out to be a beautiful day with temperatures 10 degrees above average. mostly sunny skies expected

time now for today's take 3 where we give our take on stories catching your attention and our special guest this morning is british pop sensation cher lloyd. we just heard you sing and rap, and you ready to talk in. >> definitely, yeah. always. >> our first take one has to do with "american idol." you're the perfect person to ask about this because you started on the british "x-factor." >> you're not going to ask me. >> please. >> nicki minaj. >> just between us. >> nobody is listening. >> can it be a secret? >> it is a secret. >> do you have an opinion about the fight? do you think it's real, or do you think it's all for publicity? >> i don't have a clue, i really don't, but it's been very entertaining, and -- and i don't really know what to think about

it. >> you think that the problem with some of these shows, kind of shows, kind of jump the shark, it's not about the singer anymore -- the singers anymore, it's about the judges. >> it's very difficult. i think, you know, every artist in their own right is a star, and -- and for someone as big and talented as nicki and mariah, it's going to be difficult for anyone to be able to ever outshine them. >> that's a good point. the other point, too, is that this is a show that families would sit around with their kids and watch, and you're starting to corrupt that with, you know, threats of violence. it's ridiculous. >> the chemistry and bickering that they want to have on the show, on why the t"the voice." christina and add am. it works. >> but i don't want my kids to

tune into that and see that on "american idol." >> being a kid, i looked up to these stars, it's a little disappointing. >> good perspective. >> what's our take 2. >> take 2 is this little biker video. have you seen this, a 6-year-old getting on a bike and after apparently a month of really going out and trying to get it down, well, he finally did it, and his words of accomplishment i think are something that we all could take a little lesson from. >> i did it. i did it, dad! i loved it! i loved it, dad! i can do that. i can do it. >> and then afterwards he goes on and does this whole -- it's really cute. he does this whole little speech. his name is owen kosovic, and he says it goes to show you if you stick to it, eventually you're going to learn how to do it. he's like i finally did it, and

it's just great and embothering. >> is there a concern he's got the camera mounted on his helmet and it's not an unsafe thing thing to do. >> i don't think it's unsafe unless he tries to look at himself. >> 6 years old going on that kind of terrain. >> that's like mountain biking terrain. >> pretty impressive. >> cher, you remember the first time you rode a bike? >> yes, and it was disastrous. i had the little -- >> daddy, i hate this. >> i really did. i had a pink bike with pink tassels and i had these stabilizers, wanted them off and i fell straight over, boom. >> ouch, the training wheels off. >> but you learned. >> i did learn. >> our take 3, we are amazed at this statistic. americans will spend $8 billion on halloween and about $310 million on costumes for their pets which is pretty incredible. >> we indulged a little bit this

morning. >> we spent some money. >> we've got a few of the cuties coming in. >> all right. >> who do we have up first? >> this is the first heartwarming story. this is david gregory. >> seriously. there is a dog named after you, david. >> really. >> at an animal shelter. >> animal haven. >> and you had a bunch of pups. >> nine puppies. >> and you named them all after the "today" show anchors, and they all were adopted. >> except for david. >> david had to be returned. >> david gregory needs a good home. >> is david gregory a fussy dog? >> returned only because the family started to have some financial issues. >> oh, okay. >> he's a great dog. >> people want to adopt david. >> animalhavenshelter.or, and we'll set them up. >> and the only problem is, that unfortunately, this dog david gregory spends a lot of time looking in the mirror. >> he's also constantly confronting other dogs.

>> you said this. >> let's start off. we've got natalie's pooch. >> she doesn't even know what's going on. >> hi, girl. >> zara wants the bacon. >> where's the bacon? >> dressed as a little devil. >> get this off of me. >> she's acting the part. hey, zara. >> and now here's pepper. >> newly adopted dog, 12 weeks old. >> pepper is a hot dog. >> a little hot dog. >> just like her owner. >> turning into like a mariah/nicki minaj thing. >> friendly, places to go, things to do and people to sniff. >> and angela, our producer here with her doggie. what's your doggie's name? >> allie, cute. >> what is that? is that a monkey? >> a tea cup costume. >> what's the costume? >> a monkey. >> look how little she is. >> and this is quincy. >> very nice.

>> a little pumpkin. >> and coming up next, we've got a ballerina? >> lola. what lola wants, lola gets. >> lola, you're really rocking that outfit. >> and our first superhero of the day, gatsby. >> very nice. >> great costume. >> come here, girl. >> that's cute, that little cape. >> and finally a bumble dog. >> emily's dog. >> oh, that's cute. >> come over here. >> jonas. >> and then one last -- we've got brooks, and we've got little pirate. >> there you go. >> a little pirate kitty. >> there you go. >> pepper is yawning, one segment too many. >> been up a little too late. >> do the dogs love wearing the costume? >> no. >> i'm surprised pepper is keeping it on. >> look at this. >> do you have any pets, cher? >> i do. >> do you dress them up for halloween? >> i dress them up into bowties and stuff and the little velcro

little things. >> very british. >> that's true. >> cher lloyd, thanks so much for sticking around. >> thanks for being with us. >> thank you. coming up next, a daughter's touch touching tribute to her dad's legacy. that's coming up. ♪

curveball columnist jeffrey laszlo was a contributor and frequent guest on the show. he often wrote about the love that he had for his own three daughters and the love he hoped they would find one day. unfortunately, he was killed in a tragic car accident in february. his final book explored the loving relationship with fathers and daughters called "the magic room" and it is now out in

picture and jeffreys is a low's daughter jordan is here to talk to us about it. >> i know it's been a hard eight month. eight months ago you lost your father. how is your family doing and your sisters? >> thanks for asking. we're doing the best we can. it's hard, but we're very lucky to have each other and very lucky to have our friends and family. they have been very wonderful, and it's been uplifting to see how supportive everyone has been. >> yeah. this last book, your dad really focuses on the relationships and love and exploring, you know, and "the magic room" is this bridal salon. why do you think he wanted to write about it? >> i certainly think it's because he was interested in fashion. he wore hawaiian shirts every day. he was speaking to my mom about how he wanted to write a story about love that he wishes for his daughters and where he shut set that, and she thought there's something about a bridal gown that's really special and the relationship that you have with your family when you are

picking out that, you know, that huge piece of clothing that you wear on such a big day. it was really special. >> yeah. and i know that he did his research a lot by asking you and your sisters lots of questions about what it's like to be a girl growing up as a woman, right? >> yeah. he definitely used us as subjects quite often which is flattering in a way, you know, that he wanted to hear our opinions and, you know, how we thought it felt like to be a woman i guess. >> i guess so. >> it really is a book about finding love and exploring relationships. what do you in particular relate to in this book? >> well, the story, it's "the magic room" and the subtitle is "the love that we wish for our daughters" and even before my dad passed away it was so special to me to know how important it was for him, for us to find, you know, a very special person to spend the rest of our lives, and i think he always was thinking about our weddings, even before we were, and how important that decision,

is and he wanted to be able to help, you know, facilitate it and make sure he was always there for us, holding our hands and making sure we made the best decisions we could. >> yeah. a beautiful thing to think about. >> is there one particular story because chronicling the lives of many women as they step into "the magic room," the bridal salon, one that resonated with you the most? >> the story of danielle. she actually lost her mom when she was younger, and the beginning of the chapter is so beautiful in the way that my dad describes her relationship. sounds like they had so much fun and had such a special bond, and i sort of -- i understood that relationship so well because i had that kind of bond with my parents. i still do with my mom and my dad, but, you know, those just beautiful. so fun to read because i could totally relate. >> yeah, and meanwhile you mentioned your parents also had a very loving relationship as well. what did you learn from their marriage and the example they set? >> i think that i learned that it's very important to find someone that you love, but also very important to find a partner

because my parents were totally -- they raised us completely 50/50. they respected each other. they had -- they had a great respect for each other that i think helps us live in a more loving, stable household. >> and i understand your dad would also leave notes around the house for you and your sisters as well. >> yes. >> something we can all take away from. >> yeah. it was cute. it was so sweet. always like one-liners, good luck on your exam, something so that we knew he would think of us. >> and your father's legacy, what do you think that is? >> i think it's just to be a good person and just to be kind and to be someone that people want to be around and to be someone that people -- people love and people -- and someone that makes other people feel loved, too, is really important. i think that he did a really good job of making people feel loved >> i know he's very proud of you this moment right now. >> thank you so much. >> so much to meet you. the best. the book is called "the magic room." and we'll be right back, but first these messages. [ male announcer ] does your prescription medication

give you the unexpected burden of constipation? certain prescription medications can cause occasional constipation -- which is why people turn to senokot-s® tablets. senokot-s® is the leading brand that has the proven effectiveness of a natural vegetable laxative ingredient plus the comfort of a stool softener.

senokot-s® tablets. proven relief for occasional constipation. we're giving away over $50,000 in daily prizes! go to senokotovernightrelief.com to enter. go to senokotovernightrelief.com vo: for cold and flu season, honey, don't use your sleeve. there's clorox bleach. that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center

toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun. why use temporary treatments when you can prevent the acid that's causing it with prevacid24hr. with one pill prevacid24hr works at the source to prevent the acid that causes frequent heartburn all day and all night. and with new prevacid24hr perks, you can earn rewards from dinner deals to music downloads for purchasing prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours with prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours try our new lunch-size grilled chicken fajitas,

with sauteed onions and peppers, served with soup or salad. lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. enjoy them with friends, because a lunch together feeds the friendship. coming up, jenna bush hager on one woman's extraordinary act of kindness. >> and then we'll be slow cooking chicken after your local news. two years ago, the people of bp made a commitment to the gulf. bp has paid over twenty-three billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs.

today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. has become boring and tasteless... only one man can save the day. kellogg's crunchy nut! ♪ sweet and nutty crunchy nut! [ male announcer ] honey sweet flakes with nuts in every bite. it's super delicious. there's no subtext... just tacos. yeah, it's our job to make you want it. but honestly... it's not that hard. old el paso. when you gotta have mexican.

>> this is wbal-tv of the new -- wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> today's weather is nice and clear. a new storm is in the west. this will change our weather dramatically. until then, we are in nice shape. temperatures in the upper seventies to low hmmm, i don't think i took my pill today.

there's birth control you don't have to think about taking every day or even every year. i'm painting my arms. i want another child, but not for a while. it's mirena, a small intrauterine contraceptive that's over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy for as long as you want, for up to five years. then again, i'm not sure i want to wait. don't use mirena if you have a pelvic infection, get infections easily or have certain cancers. less than 1% of users get a serious infection called pelvic inflammatory disease. if you have persistent pelvic or stomach pain, or if mirena comes out, tell your healthcare provider. if it comes out, use back-up birth control. mirena may attach to or go through the uterine wall and cause other problems. although uncommon, pregnancy while using mirena can be life threatening and may result in loss of pregnancy or fertility. ovarian cysts may occur, but usually disappear. bleeding and spotting may increase in the first few months and continue to be irregular. periods over time may become shorter, lighter, or even stop. mirena does not protect against hiv or stds.

oh, i can wait a little longer. ask about mirena. when you have time. did you know ? if you choose mirena to prevent pregnancy, it's also approved to treat heavy periods. >> a legend of rock 'n' roll, the who's pete townsend, dazzling audiences and thrilling fans for nearly half a century. now, of course, if you know anything about pete or the who, you know there's going to be some crazy years. guess what, we're going to chat with him about it monday here on "today." >> going a little bit rock 'n' roll. >> oh, yeah. >> an amazing book actually. really look forward to that. >> pretty cool. >> i'm al roker along with savannah guthrie and natalie morales and jenna wolfe. >> i didn't know if there was a skippage. >> made eye contact.

>> we want to include you. coming up, teaching teen girls how to find their own style. experts at "seventeen" magazine have great hair and makeup tips for teen girls. >> and then slow cookers, people who cook slowly, thought they were talking about me, whip up a dish, lit it simmer for the rest of the day. >> you can learn, too. >> it's easy. >> also a young lady who at 10 years old started raising money for those in need. now, just 17, she has raised millions of dollars and mobiles aed thousands and jenna bush hager has her story coming up and over here, did we mention jenna wolfe. >> one more time. >> the lovely jenna wolfe. >> good morning. we have a big weekend coming you. an incredible story of survival to tell you about. we eel introduce you to a young woman who is making a miraculous recovery after sustaining a

rare, usually fatal injury in a car accident. she's going to tell us what helped save her life. and then do you ever feel confused when buying meat at the grocery store? >> yeah. >> the right selection can really make a difference when it comes to taste. why are you laughing, al? >> we're going to show you how to find a cut above the rest even if you are on a budget, and a workout in paradise. lester and i were recently on assignment and we took time-out. >> gun show central. >> we took time out to show you how buff we are and how in bad shape you are. >> check this out. we went through a full hour right on the water, and i'm not going to tell you how many minutes either one of us lasted, but it was a fun time, so we did this last year and it was pretty popular so we came back and did this one more time so lester and i get jiggy with it. >> when does your ten dvd set come out? i know, workout woman. >> crazy. >> thank you, jenna wolfe, jenna wolfe, jenna wolfe.

>> and now let's get a check of the weather, al, al, al, al, al. >> see what we've got for you. looking ahead to the fall foliage, gorgeous out there especially in the upper mississippi river valley and wet weather in new england on saturday and ohio river valley. sunny and hot through the southwest. snow in the northern rockies. sunday, sunday, we're expecting more sunshine through the gulf coast and the southwest, but more rain along the mid-atlantic coast and on into the new england coas n >> good morning. it will be a mild afternoon. it will feel like summer. high temperature into the upper 70's and low

>> of course, you know we're very excited here because sunday, sunday, sunday night "football night in america," that's right. they are going to be playing the mercedes-benz superdome. can the new orleans saints finally win a game this season? well, don't worry about the weather indoors. they got a dome. outdoor, clear and mild. temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s. for sunday night "football night in america." >> who is playing? >> i don't know. >> the team with the big thunderbolt. >> the thunderbolt team. >> is it to phoenix. >> who are they playing? >> the chargers. >> oh, the chargers. san diego chargers, right. chargers, that's right. >> oopsy. >> i couldn't remember. >> the lightning bolts. >> who is that? >> i couldn't remember. >> thanks for making me look bad. the last time i felt this bad

was seeing lester and jenna on the beach. forget it. >> san diego is on the phone. >> thank you very much, thunder bolts. >> al, thank you. i'm sorry. >> okay, thanks, savannah. >> when we come back, "seventeen" magazine's hair and makeup tips for teenage girls. all over my body. n it just wouldn't go away. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can plan my days and accomplish more. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness,

weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. now all general mills big g kid cereals have more whole grain than any other ingredient in cereals like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch, the delicious way to help them grow up strong. till you finish your vegetables. [ clock ticking ] [ male announcer ] there's a better way... v8 v-fusion. vegetable nutrition they need, fruit taste they love.

could've had a v8... mom: what's that, rosie ? ♪ you are exactly one of a kind ♪ hi there ! let's learn to clap ! clap, clap yeah ! like that ! you're sooo big ! sooo big ! a-b-c-d-e-f-g a-b-c-d-e-f-g ♪ 'cause we were made for each other, ♪ ♪ for always toy sfx: h-i-j-k-l-m-n-o-p. h-i-j-k-l-m-n-o-p. q-r-s q-r-s. online outfit piccolo headphones buy now broadway show megapixels place to sleep little roadster war and peace deep sea diving ninja app hipster glasses 5% cash back sign up to get 5% everywhere online through december. only from discover. ♪ i woke up to a feeling ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪ ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪

[ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural cheese to make it creamier so whatever you make isn't just good, it's amazing. ♪ ...is amazing with the love that i found ♪ ♪ style," makeup and hair tips for teens. there comes a time in a girl's life when she goes from playing with makeup to using it. to know how to make that transition is key in the "seventeen" ultimate guide to beauty, the magazine's editor and experts take you through the how-tos step by step and the editor joins us this morning. good to have you here. >> thank you. >> when i started using makeup, kind of like eighth grade. when's the age when girls do

really start to wear it to school? >> you know, every mother and daughter needs to have that conversation with themselves, and so it's really about total beauty confidence. how can we make your daughter feel so beautiful and so amazing that she can walk into any room and own it. >> right. >> that's what this book is. i hear from so many mothers that say my daughter is o'ing on lip liner and you want her to feel good about the experimentation. makeup is fun. >> really needs to be age appropriate. here is zaneb showing us what her school day would look like. >> she is wearing a soft purple eye shadow, ultimate girly look, purple eyes and a pink xwlglossd

really anybody can wear purple. we do all skin tones and hair textures that every single girl can find herself in the pages, and it's a really simple hair look. when you are going to school you don't want to spend a lot of time. has her hair in a bun and the double headband keeps it out of her hair for the day and looks just easy, right, an easy school look and put together. >> exactly. >> but she also looks her age which is great because sometimes if you put too much makeup on a young kid and they are they look like you are sending the wrong message. >> connie is wearing the weekend long, 21 years old, so out of her teens. what makes this different than the school look? >> for connie, on the weekend you want to look well rested, even if you've been out late friday night, hanging out with your friends, you want to look like you had a great night's sleep so we did a soft coral all over. same tones and same product, right? you can use eye, cheek and lip and everything is the same but

the trick is the white eyeliner? >> under the eye. >> or in the water line. >> in the water line. >> okay. so this is going to make her look wide awake, no matter what. no matter how late she was out with her friends. >> and the cute little braids. braids are such a big deal these days, but it doesn't have to be complicated. don't have to do a crazy fishtail braid, french braid, cute hidden braids. >> and katie ann with the evening look. this is where they can be a little more glamorous. >> her look is for a really special party, homecoming, sweet 16 holiday. got glitter galore on this eye, but when you do glitter, everything else should be really simple, and one hair accessory just to make everything pop. >> you all look beautiful, girls? do you like your makeup? >> love it. >> ann, thanks so much. >> coming up next, a slow cooker gourmet feast, but first these messages. doorbell rings ]

donuts? ♪

[ chuckles ] ♪ you're cute. ♪ [ door creaks, closes ] [ female announcer ] the protein effect. new special k protein cereal. with ten grams of protein and three grams of fiber... finally, a protein cereal to help keep you fuller longer. willpower. what will you gain when you lose? that was me... the day i learned i had to start insulin for my type 2 diabetes. me... thinking my only option was the vial and syringe dad used. and me... discovering once-daily levemir® flexpen. flexpen® is prefilled. doesn't need refrigeration for up to 42 days. no drawing from a vial. dial the exact dose. inject by pushing a button. flexpen® is insulin delivery... my way. levemir® (insulin detemir [rdna origin] injection) is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use levemir® if you are allergic

to any of its ingredients. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion, and headache. severe low blood sugar can be serious and life threatening. ask your healthcare provider about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. other possible side effects include injection site reactions. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, such as body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat, or sweating. with flexpen®... say good night to vial and syringe. ask your doctor about levemir® flexpen. covered by 90% of insurance plans, including medicare. find your co-pay at myflexpen.com. since then, there's been one wedding, 2 kids, and 43 bottles of olay total effects. so in spite of 185 tantrums 378 pre-dawn starts and a lot of birthdays, caroline still looks amazing.

you can challenge what's possible thanks to the trusted performance of olay. 60 years, millions of women, real results. these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one. good morning, in requested today's kitchen," what's for dinner? a slow cooker classic but has nothing to do with beef. this meal may sound fancy, but it's an easy and delicious dish that can be whipped up in a few simple steps. katie lee is the author and entertaining expert and she's showing us pot au poux. sounds like a villain from james

bond. >> a slow cooker is a busy cook's best friend. >> browned up chicken, salt and pepper on it and goes into the skillet. helps it have more flavor when you put it in the slow cooker. put our veggies in first. >> okay. >> put those on the bottom and then carrots, celery and onion on top. >> boom. >> and it all goes right in. the beauty of this dish and garlic and thyme over it, and then we put our chicken on top. and then when the chicken cooks, all of its good flavors go into the veggies. >> and what else are we adding here? >> chicken broth and white wine, and that will give it even more flavor. if you don't have chicken broth, actually just use water because there's enough going on in here that it's going to give that a lot of flavor. >> okay. last hour of cooking, add some zucchini to it and don't take the lid off while it's cooking.

you lose 15 to 20 minutes. >> how do you get the zucchini in? >> comes out looking like this. doesn't that look delicious? >> fantastic. >> and i do it with a little salad, herbs and nice little viniagrette, crusty bread with some butter and dinner is ready. it's delicious. >> i never thought about this. use a slow cooker to make dessert. >> absolutely, doing a caramel apple brioche bread pudding, sounds super fancy. i've got eggs going, probably have everything to make this in your fridge already. whole milk and this is diced apple. >> great because it's fall and people are going apple picking. >> and then brown sugar and white sugar, and some vanilla. >> yeah. >> it already smells great, doesn't it? >> really does. >> spices, ginger, nutmeg and a little bit of salt. >> mm-hmm. >> okay. get that nice and whipped and just pour it right on top.

>> that's it? >> that's it. >> could have mix it had a little bit more, but, you know. we'll let it slide. >> all right. >> the top goes on there, and two hours later you're going to have the most delicious moist bread pudding right here, top it with some caramel sauce. doesn't get any better than this. >> slow caramel. >> we're slow cooking. >> i bet you like a lot of caramel sauce. let's put that on there for you. >> i want this, too. this looks too good. >> katie lee, thank you so much. >> thank you, al. >> coming up, jenna bush hager and a young woman who is making a difference, but first this is "today" on nbc. barnhill: you hear a lot of talk about question seven...

so let me tell you what i know: if question seven passes, my company's going to... bring table games, like blackjack and poker... right here to baltimore. a twenty-five million dollar investment... that'll create five hundred new jobs. all right here. today, marylanders are spending $500 million gaming... in other states. let's keep it here. i'm chad barnhill, and we're ready to build right here. we're ready, and it's real. and all that has to happen... is question seven. after a natural disaster it often takes time, manpower and money to help a community get up and running. "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager has the story of one young woman who successfully mobilized all three before she was old enough to vote. good morning to you, jenna. >> good morning. it's incredible. kelly lamond's story is rooted

in the most damaging natural disaster that has ever hit the united states, and it proves that anybody has the power to make a difference. in 200510-year-old talia lamond watched from her home in iowa as hurricane katrina devastated the gold coast. >> first i want to use these. >> reporter: even at such a young age she felt compelled to help people affected by the storm devising plans to trick-or-treat for donations, rather than candy. >> why did you decide to do this? >> well, i don't know who wouldn't want to. i mean, who wouldn't want to help? >> reporter: her plan gained momentum. only after some initial opposition from an unlikely foe, her young eer brother xander. >> i'm opposed to it? >> why are you opposed to it? >> because i want my candy back. >> yet xander's opposition

actually brought a swell of support to the cause, and kids around the country joined talia to tally more than $10 million. though at 10 years old she took on the title of ceo, chief executive optimist, and named her organization random kid, and out of that simple act of kindness a philanthropist was born. >> don't be afraid to like embrace that. >> reporter: now 17 and a senior in high school, she continues to do good and shares her message with other young people. >> i figured that if kids could raise $10 million for hurricane relief, that we could do anything. >> reporter: and she's even written a new book titled "a random book about the power of anyone." do you still think of yourself as a random kid? >> i definitely think of myself as a random kid. i think all along people would ask, like, why are you so special? and, you know, i wasn't. i was a random kid who saw a problem and wanted to do something. >> according to random kids, the

non-profit has connected 12 million kids in 20 different countries to date, mobilizing them to work on charitable projects of their own, ranging from disaster relief and clean water projects, to building schools as far away as cambodia. one of the things that i loved about your book is they are fuld of what i have coined as taliaisms or lessons that you've learned at the ripe age of 17 years old. do you mind just listing a couple of those for us? >> the way i arranged the contents on the table was all like counterintuitive messages, like, for example, big efforts can't measure up because they can't, you know, small efforts that matter the most or, for example, too many cooks is the right number, and you realize that everyone leads with their passion, with their greatest skill, that that's really important. >> reporter: scattered throughout the pages of talia's book are images of her biggest inspiration, her little brother xander who opposed her plans back in 2005 but has since come around. >> i really look up to him, he's

a role model for me, and i think that the reason that is he has autism spectrum disorder and with that comes this incredible -- he's so genuine in who he is, and i strive to be at least as close to as genuine as he is. >> reporter: and before heading to -- talia has another project in the works, she is calling the big return. random kid partnered with a non-profit youth venture to fund and train some st. louis students in project development. they gave the kids 6,800 and after four months kids turned that in 72,000. >> the return on investment pure financially was over a 900% return so now i'm looking to take that to more the next five years. you can give $1 to haiti or give it to a kid and that turns into $10 for haiti. >> reporter: she even speculates with b a possible run for office. nicholas kristof has endorsed you for president, albeit in

2044. >> right. >> reporter: when you read that column, were you pleased or shocked? >> well, i was shocked. people ask are you going to run for president and something like this. the truth is anything is possible, but there's so many platforms to create change nowadays whether it's president, bus driver or a banker or a princess, yes. >> reporter: so you're going to run for princees? >> yes, that's the plan. >> reporter: good luck. i will vote for you. >> thanks. >> even though talia is an accomplished fund-raiser, advocate for youth and now a published author, at 17 she is a typical high school student and applying for college. >> i am so impressed, and every school is going to want her. her future is amazing. jenna bush hager, thanks so much. have a great weekend. kathie lee and hoda coming up next.